FLIGHT
132
Civil Aviation N e w s
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1049
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services, mostly inside Russia. T.W.A. flew 1,421,477 miles
a week on regular services and P.A.W.A. mileage for 1948,
estimated from fares and cargo charges amounting to more
than £32,000,000, was considered to be the largest in the world.
United States airlines flew 8,976,000 miles a week during 1948,
6,946,000 on regular internal services and 2,030,000 miles on
regular overseas services.
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Sabena is now operating into Melsbroeck, the new airport
near Brussels, which is already used by B.E.A. and American
companies for scheduled services. The new airport at present
has two runways of 2,200 yards and 2,000 yards long, but
when completed the airport will cover 2,200 acres and have
six runways ranging in length from one to three miles. Modern
equipment permits landings and take-off every two minutes.
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The Air Registration Board has issued Notice to Licensed
Aircraft Engineers and to Owners of Civil Aircraft, No. 30,
issue 2, introducing inspection for the blade-retaining nuts and
barrels of airscrews fitted to Viking aircraft. Although no
cases of failure have been reported on Wayfarer airscrews,
visual inspection of the barrel arms should be made if undesirable vibration occurs.
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* - • Indian Overseas Airlines have applied to the Government of
Australia for permission to operate a weekly service from Calcutta to Sydney, with stops at Bangkok, Singapore, Batavia,
Surabaya, and Darwin. If permission is granted, the proving
flights will be made in February and the scheduled service
will start in March. Qantas Empire Airways already operate
a service from Australia to India.
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In the first five months' service with Air Transport (Paris)
four Bristol New Type 170 aircraft completed 2,400 flying
hours and flew more than 350,000 miles, carrying 3,400 passengers and 920 tons of freight. The aircraft are mainly used
for freight carrying between France and North Africa, but a
twice-weekly service is operated between France and Haifa,
carrying passengers on the outward trip and returning with
mail and small freight in addition to the passenger load. The
round trip takes about 32 flying hours.
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Pilots are reminded in Notice to Airmen No. 472 that after
making an instrument approach to an airfield they must continue to fly under IFR until they are 500ft below cloud with
a visibility of not less than 3 nautical miles. If, in visual contact with the ground before completing the approach procedure, the entire procedure must be executed unless clearance
has been given to proceed on a new flight path. Unauthorized
divergence from procedure creates a hazard to other aircraft.
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FEBRUARY 3RD,
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A K.L.M. proving flight left Amsterdam on January 26th
on a new route to Batavia via Khartoum, Mauritius and
Padang, and a second proving flight left on January 28th on
the Amsterdam to Batavia route via Sharjah on the Persian
Gulf, and Bangkok. The K.L.M. scheduled Amsterdam to
Batavia service was suspended on December 23rd, 1948, when
Egypt, India, Pakistan and Ceylon closed their airfields to
Dutch aircraft as a protest against Dutch action in Indonesia.
L.A.C. PARTY : A celebrated group at the London Aeroplane Club's
Ranquet and Ball at the Savoy Hotel on Jctnum^ ZSih, Tumi IH]l to"
right are ; Capt. G. P. Olley, Mrs. Pike, Mr. G. S. Lindgren, W/C. C.
A. Pike {L.A.C. Chairman), Mrs. Masefield, Mr. Peter Masefield,
Mrs. Marriage, Mr. 8. H. Marriage
It is expected that a twice weekly service will be operated or
each route for mail and priority passengers only.
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There are now 1,331 civil aircraft registered in Argentina,
of which 13 are owned by charter companies, 342 by the
Government and 224 light aircraft by flying clubs. There are
11 privately owned helicopters and 663 private aircraft. Of
the 78 aircraft owned by commercial airlines, 27 are Douglas
DC-3S and 11 are DC-4S.
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Air Express services in the United States continued to increase during 1948. More than 4,000,000 shipments were
handled during the year, an increase of 5.5 per cent over
1947,
the weight of shipments was estimated at about 31,500
tons and the gross revenue at more than £4,500,000. The service was started in 1927 by the Railway Express Agency and
the scheduled passenger airlines. It now operates on 18
scheduled airlines and 10 feeder airlines and the route mileage
has increased from 79,112 in 1947 to more than. 86,000 route
miles in 1948.
Discussions in Melbourne on an air agreement between Ceylcn
and Australia have concluded, and it has been announced that
Australian National Airways have bought 49 per cent of the
shares in Air Ceylon. For ten years A.N.A. will supervise operations and develop workshops and other facilities in Ceylon,
although during the development stage engines will be overhauled in Australia. At the end of the ten years the Government of Ceylon will have the right to buy back the shares from
A.N.A. at market value. By agreement with the Indian and
Pakistan Governments Air Ceylon will operate services to those
countries with DC-3S, and a service between Ceylon and Great
Britain is contemplated.
FROM THE CLUBS
W
EST London Aero Club at White Waltham continues to
do a very satisfactory amount of flying considering the
time of year. On January 15th the Club gave its first film
show which consisted of the first two parts of the technical
film " W h y an Aeroplane Flies," very kindly lent by Shell
Mex, Ltd., which was supported by a drama of the Fleet Air
Arm. This was so popular with members that the Club is
arranging to have further film shows once a month. Miss Gore
has started a series of lectures on meteorology which commenced on Saturday, January 29th.
VTEGOTIATIONS with the Luton Corporation and the pro-*•'I spective new management of the Luton Flying Club are
continuing. As reported in Flight, January 6th^ the Hunting
Flying Clubs, Ltd., are withdrawing from the Luton club on
February 28th and the negotiations now proceeding concern
the future lease of the airfield from the Corporation to those
who wish to take over the club when Hunting's withdraw.
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' I ^HE annual dance of the Cowes Aero Club, held on January
-»• 8th, was a very successful affair attended by about 150
members and guests, many of whom flew over the main-
land and availed themselves of the free transport from the
airfield to the Norton Chalet Hotel where the dance was held,
and also of the hangarage and overnight accommodation
facilities, which were arranged by the club. Flying weather
in January has been very good at Cowes with consequently
plenty of aerial activity; Mr. Basil Tubb, with only 20 hours'
flying experience to his credit, recently flew a club Messenger
to the Channel Islands and back.
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"LYING at the Midland Bank during the first three weeks
of 1949 has totalled 32 hours ; this is an increase over the
2<-)\ hours ilown in December; the November total was 32
hours. Although some members have left the club through
being called up or leaving the Midland Bank staff, new members
have joined, keeping the total membership at about 170, of
whom approximately 60 are active flying members; the club's
fleet consists of three Tiger Moths. On January 22nd an " open
day " was held which was well attended and ended with a
dance. Mr. R. A. Gifford, formerly secretary of the club has
now succeeded Mr. Willis as captain and the latter has become
vice-captain. Mr. Gifford's duties as secretary were taken over
by Mr. Thetford on January 1st, 1949.
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